Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Needless to say, I was surprised when a friend informed me Tuesday that I was the subject of a Sean Hannity tirade on the conservative talk-show host's radio program. I have not yet been able to get a recording of the show (if anyone has any ideas as to how to get the 2/27 show please contact me), but apparently he was berating me over the Al Gore Will Not Only Run, But He Can and Will Win opinion piece I wrote for ABCNEWS.com. The self-anointed "Hannitizer" took issue not just with my predictions about Gore in the '08 presidential election, but with me personally (personal attacks seem to be a Hannitizer specialty). In his rant, I was told Hannity was asking something like "Who is this guy, Ostroy, anyway," followed by a nearly 10-minute dissection of my Gore story, refuting it point by point. And how do I feel about all this? Well, I guess having been politically disemboweled by Sean Hannity means I've been somewhat lifted out of my relative obscurity. Pissing off Hannity feels, well, damned good.

Not one to take a bitch-slapping lying down, I contacted Hannity's producer Jennie Lubart on Wednesday to suggest an on-air interview so that, rather than whip me in absentia, Sean could confront me mano-a-mano...that is of course if he has the cajones to engage in debate with someone who (a) isn't drunk on GOP Kool-aid, and (b) won't be blown over like a feather like his TV show co-host Alan Colmes. We can even bill this event as "The Hannitizer vs. "The Sanitizer," because I vow to clean him good of all that irresponsible rhetoric in his daily spin cycle. My guess is that the patriotic, right-wing, flag-wavin' tough guy will run scared from truth and logic, choosing instead to spew the vitriol towards me and others while unchallenged from his safe studio perch. When I spoke with Lubar she said an interview "could be interesting" and that she'd have to "speak with her senior producer" about it. Haven't heard back yet, and suspect I won't. Engaging the opposition in a civil discourse is not Hannity's typical M.O.

Well, how about it Sean? The Hannitizer vs. The Sanitizer. Can ya handle it? Are ya up to the challenge? Let's see what you're made of. Come on and surprise us....

On another subject......we could use your help at The Adrienne Shelly Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated in my wife's honor to help carry out her spirit and passion, with the goal of providing film school scholarships and grants to women filmmakers. As many of you know, Adrienne was brutally killed here in NYC on November 1st. Please visit our website to learn more about our mission and to make a donation. Every little contribution helps preserve Adrienne's legacy, and to help create something positive out of this horrible tragedy. Thank you.

42 comments:

Mike
said...

Actually it wouldn't be a surprise at all for you to wind up on Hannity's program. He has liberals on all the time for discussion and debate. You won't fare well, but I look forward to hearing it if you will accept the invitation when it comes. You obviously don't know a lot about Hannity judging from this post.

I have no idea at all that Hannity would 'debate' Ostroy in a face-to-face war of words ..he Doesn`t have the balls for good old fashioned one-on- one..He is better at Back-stabbing assaults ... Tho never seems to make much progress with His Dirtbag approach. Ostroy , don`t bother yourself with scum-carriers like Hannity. They are a dime a dozen...and will soon be falling off that bush he is sitting on, anyway .. so, Carry on !! VGF

Yeah, Andy knows Hannity very well. Actually, I thought Andy was too light on the loud-mouthed Nazi. I hate Hannity more than Bill Orally, or Bill O'LIEly, or Bill O'Liar (pick one)--and THAT'S saying something! Andy, if you appear on anything involving Hannity, I'm guessing it will be radio, not TV. Hannity wouldn't want the total embarrassment of having his asshole handed to him for all the FAUX News sheep to see. Andy,I'm guessing...hoping you said Hannity was "patriotic" in jest---since he is about as American as a swastika! If you take him on, PLEASE PLEASE don't lay down and and let his loud mouth drown you out. He has a bad habit of asking a person a question, then gives them 1.5 seconds to answer it (OR NO TIME AT ALL) before he begins his long-winded, war mongering, Nazi rhetoric that only a faithful FAUX News disciple loves. Don't be a bully either---that's what THEY are. Just nail him with FACTS----they hate that the most! Kick his ass and dont take prisoners!

Andy--here are some fun facts about Sean "the Nazi" Hannity in your battle, if it comes:

Fun quotes!:

"I'll tell you who should be tortured and killed at Guantanamo: every filthy Democrat in the U.S. Congress" Hannity and Colmes, June 15, 2005.

"Democrats should "stay home on Election Day ... for the sake of the nation."

"It doesn't say anywhere in the Constitution this idea of the separation of church and state"  Hannity and Colmes, August 25, 2003

Here are Sean's GOOD FRIENDS!

Remember Sean's Good Friend former LAPD racist cop Mark Fuhrman?

Remember Mark lying on the witness stand during the OJ trial, claiming that he's not a racist and doesn't use the "N" word? Then, a year later, pleading "no contest" to perjury after the jury in that trial heard an audiotape of Fuhrman saying racist things and using the "N" word repeatedly.

His Good Friend Ann Coulter. She angered family members of Oklahoma City bombing victims whenshe told a reporter her only regret about Timothy McVeigh was that "he didn't go to the New York Times building.

And his Good Friend Katherine Harris. She used her office as Secretary of state to remove more than 20,000 innocent black voters from Florida's eligible voter list by branding them as felons during the 2000 election.

Sean Hannity has never forgiven Bill Clinton for having a romantic liaison with a woman who was not his wife. He refers to it almost daily. It doesn't bother him so much, though, that his Good Friend Ex-Congressman Newt Gingrich not only cheated on his wife, but dumped her and married the younger mistress.

His Good Friend Oliver North.Remember Ollie lying to Congress after he tried to take the fall for the Iran Contra affair, where he helped sell weapons to a hostile state, then turned around and sold weapons to a rogue band of rebels?

Your an idiot. The constitution does not say anywhere 'this' idea of the separation of church and state. 'this' was probably in some context. Anything taken out of context can mean anything. You used it to somehow compare Sean Hannity to a Nazi. The nazi reference is the second reason you are an idiot. A conservative always knows that a conversation with a liberal will not get any more challenging once the nazi references come out.

To quote the constitution, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; ..."

If you want to understand the roots of "separation of church and state", read Dr. Mark Levin's Men In Black. Try and do something that will help you increase your intelligence.

No, YOURE the idiot! The quote wasn't used to say that Hannity was saying the PHRASE "church and state" was in the Constitution---it's NOT, obviously. It was used to show that the idea of it IS there in the Constitution--in which he was saying its NOT---so he was WRONG! The IDEA IS there---you even ADMITTED it in the segment of the Constition that YOU quoted!!!!!! Sean's quote didnt start with the word "this"---it started with the word "It". The quote above was the WHOLE quote! What arent you following?? Thomas Jefferson used the term "church and state" in a letter to the Danbury baptists----but the IDEA of it was from the Constitution--that religious doctrine would be SEPERATE from civil government. The Danbury baptists wanted religious liberty, so they sent a letter to Jefferson basically saying "we want this religious liberty and not be controlled by the government". Jefferson wrote back and basically said "the first amendment says you have religious liberty because there is a wall of seperation between church and state"---which is where that phrase came from but the IDEA of this is IN the Constitution as I just explained, although the words "seperation of church and state" is not, but the IDEA of it is there, which Hannity said in his quote it WASNT. He was basically LYING---and you support his lie!!

Hanity is not a conservative as that movement has been hijacked by a bunch of hate fulled lying fascists who care not a damn thing about the Constitution and whose only interest is in gaining power by bashing democrats with rhetoric appealing to the closed minded morons that manage to make our chicken shit President and this chicken shit administration seem like Chicken Salad. And yes I am engaging in name calling just like the other side does becaue I know from experience that logic and facts mean shit to the 100% true Bush beievers! Isnt that obvious? All you have to do is look around and recognize the havoc this arrogant pompus empty headed monkey had caused to understand that anyone who cant see this is in total denial. If you are scheduled to be on let us know. Rule number one..put him on the defensive before he does it to you and ask him to defend his quotes and dont hesitate to distort them just like he does and then accuse him of taking you out of context and formenting dissent for political purposes. Then laugh at him at what ever he says..and shake yo head in disbelief.. That is how you deal with him

"ABCNEWS.com. The self-anointed "Hannitizer" took issue not just with my predictions about Gore in the '08 presidential election, but with me personally (personal attacks seem to be a Hannitizer specialty). In his rant, I was told Hannity was asking something like "Who is this guy, Ostroy, anyway," followed by a nearly 10-minute dissection of my Gore story, refuting it point by point. And how do I feel about all this? Well, I guess having been politically disemboweled by Sean Hannity means I've been somewhat lifted out of my relative obscurity. Pissing off Hannity feels, well, damned good."

The fiction of "separation of church and state" is a legal monstrosity. It is not the meaning of the clear simple words in the first amendment. It is counter to the intent of the easily ascertainable thoughts of the founders. It is based on the words of Thomas Jefferson written 14 years later in an incidental letter not specifically on the Constitution. Jefferson was not in the country at the time of the drafting of the first amendment. His meaning was the opposite of that interpreted by the Judge. He was referring to a sermon in which the "wall" protected the church from the state and not the state from the church. The first amendment had been properly understood for a century and a half. A former Ku Klux Klan member sat in judgment on the Supreme Court and passed a judgment that happened to coincide with the views of the Klan that his son said he supported. The judge wrote those words in direct and purposeful contradiction to the majority opinion that he was supposed to be expressing.

After reading your pathetic article "Al Gore Will Not Only Run, But He Can and Will Win", I have once again witnessed the liberals total distain for, and ignorance of our country's free market system ...and that's besides the fact that you clearly have no facts to back up your rediculous claims!

One "arguement" I want to focus on---the min wage scandal---did you fail to comprehend the basic, fundamental principles of economics??? You talk about how "shameful" the min wage of $5.15 is as if by raising the min wage we'd solve America's economic "crisis". Well, Andy Ostroy, what do you suggest the min wage should be raised to? $8/hr...$12/hr...no, better yet...lets make the min wage $42/hr...then we'd all be making a some what substantial income and heck, we could completely get rid of the poverty stricken class of America! woo hoo!! NOT!! If it was that simple, America or some other country in the world would have already implemented that system. You liberals fail to grasp the simple concept that when the wages go up, prices go up. If you think it's so unbearable to live in America right now because "Everything is so expensive", then wait a few years and you'll REALLY not be able to afford anything.

One last thing---you're little cost ticker for the price of war is just so cute, very touching. It always baffles me when liberals manipulate facts and figures----esp recently with the war, as if you can honestly put a price on freedom.

By the way, I clicked anonymous, but i'm Haley---tokyohaley@hotmail.com

Sean is a NEOCON... NOT a Conservative. Please use the correct terminology. It is wrong to defame real conservatives who do not march in lock step with Hannity`s Likud war-masters.

Hannity will likely be willing to have you on the air OVER THE PHONE..which will mean the volume will be turned down at his convenience to give long winded speeches that you cant respond to. Your `debate` will consist of his asking loaded YES or NO questions to which he will respond with long speeches after you are allowed to say ``yes`` or ``no``.

Demand that he interview you IN STUDIO, or he will backstab you if its a phone interview. last- most of us real conservatives have no voice anymore- the Neocon media sees to taht- dont lump us in with chickenhawks dragging the US into being puppets of the Likud, Paleocons are among the few people trying to educate americans on the true orwellian state of affairs.

How many liberals or Democrats ever bothered to point out that the only Republican presidential candidates being given ANY media attention all appeared at Israel`s Herzliya conference, where they swore support to doing the Likuds bidding? answer -none.

We have lost this country and are controlled like a puppet, mainstream democrats ovisouly arent the answer.

for one toky, the VAST VAST majority of right wingers don't know jack crap about economics, they know a list of generalities that, if you actually DO study economics, you realize have little to no relation to reality. Our country has been, historically, one of the most protectionist countries. If you think that doesn’t go on to today I suggest you read how NAFTA is structured, do some reading on big agro business and fuel like ethanol. One of the first things the government did after the Revolution was pass a huge tariff to protect domestic business (which, by the way, contrary to your "free market" non-sense, is the only way that countries have ever developed. Korea made it a crime punishable of death to export capital while they were developing, China has very strict capital controls now, Chile stopped capital flows when their free market experiments almost destroyed their country in the early 80's).

There's a couple other problems with your simplifications, and that's all they are. Prices are going to rise anyway, it goes with the expansion of the monetary base, if they don't over a long enough period it would in all likelihood mean a recession. If prices DON’T rise over a couple quarters we call that a RECESSION. Longer, it’s called a DEPPRESSION. People take loans out to fund a business they want to start up and, if the monetary base doesn’t expand or at least stay the same (raising prices or keeping them steady), they will not be able to pay back those loans on an aggregate level. Hirer prices are, in our economic system, a necessity for economic growth. But you’re a right winger and an expert on economics so I assume you already knew that. The minimum wage is nothing more than allowing workers to maintain their purchasing power, taking into account monetary policy. Give me an example of a country with no minimum wage in the world (cause that's the fantasy land "free market" economics you believe in right?) that doesn't at the same time have extreme poverty. Colombia is one, do some research. I’ll buy you the ticket if you promise to leave this country. Don’t worry about the death squads either. Columbia is a “free market” country, the most “free” in Latin America, so it will be a paradise.

One last thing, have you bothered for a second to do any research to see if the minimum wage itself leads to inflation? In order to do that you would have to understand how the Fed and monetary policy works and I'd bet any part of my body that you barely know what either is.

You are an idiot and you are typical. Take your ignorant, smug ass to the library and read up on economics.

By the way, your freedom comment in regards to Iraq is stupid. Do you have any idea (why do I even ask?) what we've done to Iraq on an economic level? The CPA instituted a bunch of "free market" reforms, not even bothering to tell the Iraqi Chamber of Commerce who was not happy, with a preference for foreign investors over domestic business. The US oil companies are also trying to implement “production sharing agreements” which are "a relic of the 1960s," said the letter, seen by IPS. "They will re-imprison the Iraqi economy and impinge on Iraq's sovereignty since they only preserve the interests of foreign companies. We warn against falling into this trap."

Here's an article about these agreements:

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines07/0228-05.htm

Here's an article about our economic policies in Iraq:

http://www.50years.org/cms/ejn/story/169

There’s more to a democracy than voting. What we’ve instituted in Iraq is a puppet government and corporate looting. Not democracy.

I hate people like you. You know nothing of the world and think everyone who isn't equally diluted, and fed propaganda by the same parties making the money in Iraq, is an idiot. The people taking your tax dollars thank you for your ignorance, even if they can’t be honest and say so.

Even if you win a debate with Hannity, you lose. Hannity can bash you day after day, he can demean you and you don’t get extra time. If you want to shut these buffoons up you need to go after their sponsors. Spocko seems to have caused the most panic possible. Alternatively you may want to see if there is any actionable libel.

to post 12:42----EXACTLY right---Sean Hannity is a Neo-con. Why dont all you research what a Neo-con is-----> a Neo Conservative---who believe in the teachings of Leo Strauss---who believed in Nazism----THIS is why I call Sean Hannity a Nazi! Because he believes in the Nazi teachings of Leo Strauss. Neo-cons basically hate liberalism SO MUCH that they even stoop to the low level of CREATING issues when they dont exist (EX: O Reilly's 'war on Christmas') in order to give the masses a false picture of who liberals are. They say all this bad stuff is happening and it's the liberals fault---so they can get America to hate liberals over an issue that never existed. Neo-cons hate liberty because they believe in controlling the minds of the masses, and of course liberty or "liberalism" is to think FREELY---Neo cons HATE that.

I hope Andy does get invited onto Hannity's show and rips him a new one. Hannity is one hateful, vicious, piece of dung, though. When someone does argue with him, Hannity just ignores any even reasonable questions of himself and often changes the subject. Words cannot even describe how much I loathe the man.

There's always going to be crooks, elite boot lickers, like Hannity. The problem is his listeners, who are negatively effected by his ideas, especially the economic ones, and blindly follow everything he says. Hitler was one (horrible) man but he couldn't have done what he did without people blindly following his orders.

Thanks for the economics lesson and the confirmation that someone else thinks that the rightwing posters somehow missed class that day when it comes to critical thinking and actual knowledge of what they go on and on about.

Read enough of their blatherings and you soon detect a pattern of deceit(shades of O'Reilly), ignorance (shades of Limbaugh), and infantile (shades of Ann Coulter) name-calling.

C'mon, give the geek a break. Sean 'The Chin That Dares To Walk Like A Man' Hannity, like all his verbose buddies -- you'd need a whole bagful of fingers to count these weinies on -- are all in on the joke. Red meat for the meat heads. Sheesh, you make it sound like 'Murica is the center of the universe.An important place.Leader of the world, free or not.Sorry.Not.Like 95% of the inhabitants of the planet, I really don't think you folks are as important as you folks think you are.Who cares?Life goes on.

Hannity like most right wing bullies ( like Oreilly, Rush, Savage, Ingram etc.) always enjoy debating weak, spineless, rightwing fox democrats. Offer them a debate with a real smart, tough liberal democrat and they seldom agree to one and when do always get there butts kicked. So Hannity will never agree to such a debate as he like most bullies is a coward. But you should not let Hannity get off so easy though. Take a video recorder and go to his recording studio and wait for him to exit and then respectfully confront him on the spot to a debate or agreement for a formal one. (Do what Oreilly does on his show, if they dont come to hime he goes to them)Wow can you imagine the look on Hannitys face if you did that? Then post a link to the video on your web site for all to get a kick out of Hannity squirming in fear when a true tough liberal not a phony weak one he is use to on fox and his radio show, confronts and debates him one on one.

I get sick and tired of all these so called celebrity run talk shows. For a debate to occur with any semblance of meaning rules have to be established. I have seen persistency of interruptions, talk overs and suspect that the emcees mike is programmed with louder sones. It should be question and answer with an impartial moderator who will stop unwarranted interuptions when someone is making valid points.

I did NOT send the 9:43 post. This is Larry. This site is pretty messed up that ANYBODY can type into the box ANYBODY's name!! I did NOT type that post!! Watch--I'll PROVE I can just be ANYBODY I want---watch this.....

Liberals are fags. See? I am now Tim-----see how easy it is to be come ANYBODY I want? Hope this proves the 9:43 post was NOT mine. Why would I do all these fake posts to prove this if I that post was really mine? Go to my site www.realtruthonline.blogspot.com to see my REAL views. Someone is just messing with me. I love Andy, Id never say anything bad about him or liberals.

The minimum wage should be at least as high as that of the illegal immigrants who earn up to fifteen dollars an hour and more, plus they get all the welfare benefits as well as free education for their children. But of course the real winners are the crooks who hire them.

I usually confront Hannity once a year when he does his live show. Last yr, I actually got on the air live in person but the moment he realized I was no Alan Colmes (which is the first thing I said live) and I kicked ass by putting him on the spot, he had his producer cut the mike and was speechless.

The year before he tried debating me during a commercial but I was kicking his ass so thoroughly that he ended his banter.

As for his audience, they were a vile bunch of neo nazis and bigots who said things during the commercial breaks that would appall even the average Republican.

One way to honor Adrienne's memory would be donate money to politicians who are trying to stop the flow of illegal immigrants from south of the border. (For those who don't know, Andy's wife was killed by a Guatemalan who was afraid of being deported.)